How To Cut Glass Bottles?
Using a wet tile saw to cut glass bottles is the easiest and most effective way to get a straight, clean cut. Glass cutters are ok but after making the small investment in a good wet tile saw, you will never try those manual methods again.
The use of a wet tile saw eliminates all the mess that can be leftover after using the manual methods as well. There is relatively little cleanup, and you don’t have to deal with flames, torches, glass shards or shattered glass. All you have is the saw cord and some water.
The best wet tile saw for cutting glass bottles would be the SKIL 3540-02 7-Inch Wet Tile Saw. The relatively small investment of $79 – $99 fits nicely in most people’s budgets. The convenient water containment system will keep the water close to the blade which will help with clean up. It has an aluminum table top and rust-resistant surface to ensure it lasts a long time.
Things You Will Need:
- You will want to get a nice blade for your saw. The best blade would be a diamond blade. It will give you the cleanest and smoothest cut. This blade is also used for cutting ceramic tiles.
- A good pair of safety glasses.
- Gloves
- Earplugs if you are sensitive to sound (The saw is a bit noisy)
Making Your Cut
- Put on your safety glasses and gloves, check that the water reservoir is full in the saw (check it frequently the saw uses a lot of water), and make sure the saw is plugged in.
- Set your guide on the table in place for added control while cutting the bottle.
- Set the saw up so that you will be moving the glass toward you instead of pushing it away.
- Hold the bottle firmly. With the bottle against the guide, slowly move the bottle toward the blade. There will be some pushing back on the bottle so be sure to grip it firmly to you don’t lose control of the bottle.
- Once the bottle hits the blade slowly roll the bottle towards you as you are pushing it through the blade. There is no rush so take your time. Not rushing will give you a clean cut and keep you from breaking the bottle.
Conclusion
In the beginning, you may break a few bottles getting the method down right. It is also a possibility that your cut may not be very straight until you get the hang of it. Make sure you have a couple of bottles to practice until you get the feel for the saw and the process. It should only take you a couple of cuts.
Once you do get the hang of the process and using the saw you will never go back to manual methods. Using a wet tile saw to cut your glass bottles will save you time, money, materials and frustration that can be brought on by using manual methods to cut glass.